This review has shown clear two-way linkages between water and each of the development programs envisages in the NEPAD agenda. It is also clear that measures for addressing the water resource management issues critical to the success of the NEPAD goals are mostly elements of IWRM.
The importance of IWRM in NEPAD is not just to achieve integration of strategies and activities between sectors. Given that water is a critical resource for the success of each one of these development programs, it can be anticipated that there will be intense competition for the freely available water resources. This will be compounded by the lack of resources to develop the potentially available resources that require storage and transport; competition between countries for shared water resources will compound the challenges.
This makes it vital that adequate measures be taken to ensure that the socio-economic dividends from NEPAD are not washed away by inadequate attention to water resources management. It makes it imperative that there should be measures for proper stewardship of Africa’s water resources, for judicious and equitable allocation of the existing supplies between the competing demands, and for proper sequencing of water use to minimise investment requirements and to permit re-use at minimum cost and safeguard adequate quantity and quality of water for the desired uses. In short, it calls for strict adherence to the principles and practice of IWRM.
Due attention should thus be paid to the Dublin Principles and to the salient features of IWRM. These include, but are not necessarily limited to, the pursuit of economic efficiency, equity (reflecting both fiscal equivalence and distributional aspects, especially the provision of adequate safety net for the poor), and environmental sustainability. Equally important is mainstreaming management at the lowest appropriate level, as well as adequate participation, especially of women and the youth. Guidelines and practical instruments for using these principles have been assembled within the IWRM Tool Box. The hallmark of the Tool Box is a set of case studies that illustrate how the IWRM tools have been used in practice. The three pillars that underpin the Toolbox are:
- the enabling environment that includes policies, legislative framework, and incentive structure;
- institutional roles and arrangements for the enabling environment; and
- management instruments for use within the institutional framework
IWRM is being vigorously promoted by the global Water Partnership (GWP). It has already been embraced by IGWA and UNSIA. It has also been adopted as the framework for the implementation of the Africa Water Vision. As shown below, many of the priorities for action are the same as the actions envisaged under the Framework for Action for the Africa Water Vision. Thus, NEPAD can be viewed not only as an opportunity to for sustainable development in Africa, but also as an opportunity to demonstrate to development professionals and political leaders the relevance of water to sustainable development. Moreover, it is an opportunity and a peg on which to hang the promotion of IWRM and advance the implementation of the Africa Water Vision.
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